With opening night of the 2023/24 NBA season in the rearview, we at Hoops Rumors decided it was high time to delve into some predictions for how the rest of the year will unfold.
The East’s top two teams by record last year, the Celtics and Bucks, underwent some drastic personnel changes this summer, and have emerged as the two early favorites in Las Vegas. Boston’s new additions are top-lined by ex-Milwaukee All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday and floor-stretching center Kristaps Porzingis, while the Bucks added superstar point guard Damian Lillard alongside perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The reigning champion Nuggets remain the class of the Western Conference, boasting perhaps the most lethal offensive tandem in the league with superstar center Nikola Jokic and sharpshooting guard Jamal Murray.
Three Western Conference hopefuls who won playoff series last year — the Suns, Lakers, and Warriors — all underwent significant alterations to their own rosters in the hopes of toppling jumbo-sized Denver.
Phoenix offloaded two starters in Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, and brought in three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal, veteran big man Jusuf Nurkic, and some fresh depth to complement incumbent All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Paul was eventually re-routed to Golden State, where his veteran presence could help stabilize the turnover-prone Warriors. The Lakers made several tactical below-the-radar signings as they look to build on their surprise Western Conference Finals berth last spring.
Competitive Eastern Conference clubs like the Heat, Knicks, Sixers and Cavaliers seem to be a move or two away from true title contention. The Clippers certainly think they’re still contenders, but given their aging and injury-prone roster, the rest of the basketball world is dubious. Elsewhere in the West, young clubs like the Kings and Thunder hope to take a leap. The Grizzlies, who will be without their best player for the first 25 games of the year and have a frontcourt beset by long-term injuries, face an uphill battle to remain among the conference’s elite teams. When everyone’s available, they certainly have the talent to compete with anyone.
On the MVP front, the usual suspects like Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry seem likely to have an opportunity to add even more hardware to their collections (each has two apiece). Reigning MVP Joel Embiid‘s candidacy for a repeat performance may depend on how Philadelphia performs in its conference. Booker’s traction in this conversation may likewise hinge on how his new-look Suns mesh, though early signs are quite encouraging. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may have a chance to nab their first such honor. All-NBA Heat swingman Jimmy Butler always seems to miss too much time to earn major consideration, but there’s no question he remains one of the league’s top talents.
The 2024 Rookie of the Year race is looking to be one of the most exciting in a while, fronted by two unique big men and a dynamite scoring guard. Superhuman Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, and lanky Oklahoma City big Chet Holmgren, the second pick in 2022 who has yet to make his regular season NBA debut, have already impressed in the preseason. Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson looks to have the green light to score at will on a youth-oriented Portland roster.
Hornets forward Brandon Miller, Rockets guard Amen Thompson, and Pistons forward Ausar Thompson all are angling for a shot at that hardware, too. One caveat: Amen will be dealing with a crowded backcourt in Houston, and may not get as much run as the others.
We want to know what you think. Which clubs will face off in the 2024 Finals? And who will win? Who will earn this year’s MVP award? And which rookie in this starry class will rise above the rest, at least this year?
Take to the comments below with your thoughts!
DEN v MIL the finals with DEN winning it all.
Jokic for MVP… unless Luka and his DAL do something crazy.
ROY is gonna be between Wembanyama and Holmgren… or both sharing the award.
Nuggets vs. Celtics in the Finals. Nuggets repeat.
Jokic beats out Giannis, Booker for MVP. Huge upset Ausar Thompson wins ROY as Pistons surprise and get 8th seed in East.
Jokic MVP. Clippers over Celtics for the title. Give me Scoot Henderson and his usage for the ROY
Tatum MVP, Bucks over Clippers and who else? Victor Wembamya for R.O.Y. As a bonus, Dame as Finals MVP.
Nuggets vs Celtics
Nuggets
MVP Jokic
ROY Wemby
Giannis MVP
NBA Finals is Celtics over Suns
Wemby over Holmgren and Scoot for ROY Award.
NBA 1st Team
G:A.Edwards
G:J.Tatum
F:A.Davis
F:Giannis
C:N.Jokic
Most Improved Player – OKC J.Giddey
Coach of The Year – Frank Vogel
6th man of the Year – Malik Monk
Let’s face it: Wembanyama is a shoo-in for ROY, MVP as well as Finals MVP.
His upcoming 178 PPG, 114 RPG, 83 AST, 79 BLK and 49 STL will be impossible to ignore. Also the fact that Pop is about to let him dominate opponents 1 vs. 5, while resting his remaining roster over stretches of the game, should impress enough voters.
Has there ever been a NBA player to sweep all the trophies while winning Nobel Prizes in medicine (first transplant of a cellulose-digesting appendix from a herbivorous ungulate to a vegan patient) and physics (derivation of the anti-gravity formula for gravity-containing environments) in the same year? Satellite images already show the impressive dimensions of the hangar-sized trophy vault Wembanyama is building, entirely by himself no less, in the south of France.
If not for, in some cases, biased and bitter basketball aficionados, it will be ecstatic shrub- and tree-bark-chomping meat deniers and formerly saggy-bosomed women all over the globe, who tip the scale in Wembanyama’s favor.
Not into predicting this early ……. Soooo
I’ll just give the top choices.
MVP should be a good race. Considering there are more than a few contenders.
Jokic, Murray, Tatum, Giannis, KD, Booker, Embiid, Curry, Mitchell. All will need to play big for team success.
ROY is another good race. I look at those who will get the most consistent mins.
Scoot, Wemby, Miller, Chet.
This was a deep draft. But it’s all about PT.
The contenders Nuggets, Suns. West playoffs will be tough.
The contenders Bucks, Celtics. My sleeper pick Cavs. Knicks if a major trade goes down. East playoffs will also be tough.
Should be a good year. A competitive Year.
Nuggets over Celtics
Jokic MVP
Jokic Finals MVP
Scoot for ROY (I think Scoot’s going to get more run than Wemby in year one)